Doctors' dengue fever alert
Doctors are alerting the public to the risk of dengue fever after the Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center received 10 people infected with the disease over the past month.
All the patients had returned from Southeast Asia, the center said on Tuesday.
Dengue fever is easily caught in tropical areas such as Southeast Asia and Africa. Due to the rainy season in many countries, dengue fever is at high risk of spreading.
Dr Ling Yun, deputy director of the center’s infectious disease department, said: “There is no need to panic as dengue fever normally doesn’t cause a critical condition. People infected with the virus can develop symptoms like headaches and joint pain after four to 10 days.
“Timely and proper treatment is effective in reducing the death rate and critical symptoms."
Anti-mosquito measures are the most effective way to prevent dengue fever. People visiting tropical regions are urged to take preventative measures and go to hospital immediately after developing symptoms, doctors said.
Doctors from Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center check a patient with dengue fever.
